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Lyme disease showing up more in Iowa

July 7th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa health official says cases of Lyme disease are on the rise in the state. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection carried and spread by ticks that can result in fever, headache, fatigue and a characteristic “bulls-eye” skin rash. If left untreated, it can spread and damage the joints, the heart and nervous system.

Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, the Iowa Department of Public Health’s medical director, says the disease appears to be far more prevalent in Iowa than it was in the 1980s. In 2000, the state recorded 34 cases. That number jumped to 97 in 2006, and topped 100 cases from 2007 to 2009. Last year, 87 cases were reported across the state.